


Cat's craddle

by mahaute



Category: Fruits Basket, Fruits Basket (Anime 2001), Fruits Basket (Anime 2019), Fruits Basket - Takaya Natsuki (Manga)
Genre: Character Study, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Japanese Mythology & Folklore, Minor Character Death, Paranormal, Spirits
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-25
Updated: 2019-09-25
Packaged: 2020-10-28 08:00:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20775209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mahaute/pseuds/mahaute
Summary: Cats are able to see the invisible. It is logical then that, the local cat spirit of the Soma, can also see things that no other can.





	Cat's craddle

**Author's Note:**

> Listen. Do I have multiple bnha project rn? Ho yeah. Can I stop my love for fruit basket? Nope. And this is why you guys will probably get a few fics.
> 
> Also, on the name prononciation: I use how they were traduce back in the french manga. Changing the "o" to "ou" is more of a phonetic thing and less gramatically correct. I do what I want and its my fic so ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

When he was young, and locked away in the Soma household, Kyo would often see a group of small kids run around.

The adult never berated them, or asked for them to leave, or even  _ looked  _ at them. They were free, and from dawn to dusk, they played. Their laughter rang like a bunch of clear bell, and their smilel never wavered. They constantly wore old timey clothes, almost looking like pyjamas, and for the longest time, he simply assumed that they were servant's kids.

One bright, sunny day, they were playing in one of the open yard, chasing each other in an ever-evolving game of tag. His father wasn't around, no one was looking over him…

It wouldn't hurt to approach them, right? He just had to be careful, not let the girl fall into him. 

They didn't have to know he was the cat, right?

He stepped into the yard, and the children simply ignored him, like they did with everyone else. So Kyo took a big inspiration, and asked.

"-Excuse me… but… Can I play too?"

The closest child stopped, turned toward kyo, and became visibly surprised when the feline boy held is gaze. Progressively, all the kids stopped, and Kyo was overtaken by great anxiety. He shouldn't have asked, this was a bad idea, they were going to run away screaming and tell father and-

"-You can see us??" Asked the smallest girl, visibly exited.

Kyo blinked, confused, before slowly nodding his head.

A true concert of happy schreek rang around him, and suddenly all the kids were surrendering him, all talking over each other.

Kyo, overwhelmed by this much attention, try to step back and away from so many girl, who would potentially turn into his cat form.

But he was still just 4, so he tripped, and fell… right  _ through _ one of the girl. It felt… strangely cold. Like a shiver a gone up his spine.

All the kids had stopped talking at that, and were now looking at him worryingly, visibly waiting for his reaction. The girl he had stepped trou, a visibly shy one with a long braid, seemed close to tears.

But kyo was not even really registering the fact that, apparently, the girl could go immaterial. No. He was much more troubled at himself somehow  _ not _ turning into a cat.

One of the boy slowly approached, and smiled, visibly unconcern by the ambient nervosity.

"-See, you wont turn if you play with us! Its okay!"

It took a moment for kyo to process the words, but then… 

Then a brillant laugh bubbled out of him. He could… play with them. He could play, and laugh, and chase them around and  _ talk to them! _

He could have friends!!

So he jumped to his feet, and finally joined a game with kids his age 

It was wonderful.

\--- 

It took him a few day to understand who his new friends were. A few day of servant berating him, telling him to "stop talking alone", "why are you running around like a crazy person" and "can you just be  _ quiet?".  _ One rainy afternoon, he was sitting on the step of a shrine, the roof extending juuust enough to stop him from getting wet. In front of him, his group of small friend were running around again. Schreeking. Unbothered by the rain.

At his side was sitting the shy girl with a long braid. He had learned in the past few day that her name was Chiyo, that she liked book, and often got tired of all the excitement of her small friend group.

She was kyo's favorite.

Under the sound of the rain on the roof tiles and happy laughter, Kyo asked:

"-You guys… your not… Really around, are you?"

Chiyo nodded sagely, observing his friends with a sad smile.

"-Your right. We are spirits. We have been around since… 1944. The old man, the ancient cat spirit, he could see us. He was the only one."

She turned toward kyo, her smile so sad, and so kind.

"-You are the new cat, are you?"

Kyo could only nood at that, unable to even talk. They knew.  _ They knew.  _ And yet… They wanted for him to hang around?

Chiyo, the most gentle soul he had ever met, pretended that the tear that fell down his face were just rain.

\---

It took him a long time to learn what had happened to an entire group of young Soma's to die at that age. At that point, he had moved out, and was living with his master, Kazuma.

He was learning about the second world war, for his study. It had to look up at burning buildings, destroyed house, bombed estate… and be could not help but ask, a horrible feeling in his guts.

"-Master… was the estate bombed during the war?"

A long silence followed, his master kind, tranquil eyes looking at him thoughtfully. 

"-It was. A pretty big part of it was destroyed and then rebuilt after. It was an extreme tragedy for the family… I suggest that you don't bring it up with the elder of the clan."

Kyo stayed silent, absorbing the info. Remembering what his ghostly friends were wearing.

How they were barefooted.

"-... Did a lot of people die?"

Kazuma blinked at that, visibly a bit taken aback. But he then nodded, a sad expression on his face.

"-it was a very hot night, during summer. A group of the soma children wanted to have a sleepover… the first bomb fell right onto the top of the building were they were sleeping. Most of them died instantly."

His master then stood up and went to a bookcase in the living room. After searching for a moment, he came back with a photo album.

Kyo slowly turned the page, looking at old, black and white photo, with small note on their left. His eye caught on the picture of a young girl, the expression serious, long black hair perfectly braided.

"-this was one of the victims, if I remember correctly. Barely 8." Precised the older man.

Her name was perfectly calligraphed, and Kyo struggled to read the note.

**"Chiyo Soma,**

**Died in a air bombing raid, summer of 1944**

**42th spirit of the rat"**

It was… incredibly sobering to realised that, indeed, his friends all died an horrific, painful death. That his best friend, the shy, quiet girl, lost her life in a fiery inferno.

It also bugged him that she never told him that she used to be the rat of the zodiac.

But at least… he knew they had found peace and happiness. Maybe it wasn't really heaven, but at least, at the very least, they had an eternity to play and laugh and be together.

He just hoped desperately they would tell him goodbye before going to the other side.

**Author's Note:**

> This may be a very episodic thingy, with kyo dealing with a different type of ghost/spirits/yokai in each chapter. If you have a specific one that you think he should meet up with, don't hesitate to say so in the comments!!


End file.
